How to Create a Wallet Icon Using Adobe Illustrator and Phantasm CS

Important product change information

Since this article was originally published, Phantasm CS, Phantasm CS Studio and Phantasm CS Publisher have been separated into three individual plug-ins:

Phantasm: color control and vector halftonesRasterino: the ultimate embedded image solution for IllustratorInkQuest: control of common pre-press tasks

Existing customers of Phantasm CS / Studio / Publisher can find full details of how this affects their licenses by reading this article.

In this tutorial we will learn how to create wallet icon using simple techniques and objects. To round the corners of multiple rectangles, we will be using the Dynamic Corners Tool, part of the (VectorScribe plugin), which is much easier to use and accelerates our work.

It is also very convenient to use Phantasm CS for processing of raster textures and creating of vector textures. This technique will be discussed in this tutorial. Besides creation of a purse, we will also draw the credit cards and the technique used to recolor these with the help of Phantasm CS.

Step 1

Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle.

When creating shapes, the colors of the objects are not important. I usually fill them with different random colors in order to see their correct position in the Layers panel. To round the corners, will be using a very handy tool, the Dynamic Corners Tool, which is one of the tools of the VectorScribe plugin. Open the Dynamic Corners panel (Window > VectorScribe > Dynamic Corners), take the Dynamic Corners Tool, and by clicking on the corners, round them.

Note: the above step can also be achieved using the Dynamic Shapes Tool, also part of VectorScribe. When drawing out a rectangle using the Dynamic Shapes tool, it is possible to adjust the corner roundness directly in the same tool.

Step 2

You can always change the radius of the corners keying in the new parameter in the Dynamic Corners panel or by moving the corner points.

You can change the radius of rounding of a few corners, to do this, select a few corner points holding down Shift, and key in a new radius in the Dynamic Corners panel, or move them.

Step 3

With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) create a new rectangle. The height and width of this rectangle is a little bit smaller than of the first one. Both rectangles are aligned along the right edge, the Align panel will make it easy for you (Window > Align).

Now, with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool, round the corners of the upper rectangle adjusting the radius of rounding of the corners by eye.

Step 4

Using the described technique, create two new rectangles, and round only their upper corners.

The latter has only a stroke. With the help of the Scissors Tool (C), cut it at the points A and B and delete the lower part.

Step 5

Now create a clasp of the wallet. Take the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle as shown below.

With the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool, round the bottom corners of the rectangle.

Rounding radius can be random, but less than half of the width of the rectangle. While holding Shift, select corner points of the lower corners. Now, moving both of the corner points, converge them in a single point.

Step 6

Select the clasp, and go to Object > Path > Offset Path… and set the offset value.

With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) select points A and B of the new object and move them up to match the upper side of the clasp. With the help of the Scissors Tool (C) cut the path at the points A and B and delete the segment A-B.

With the help of the Ellipse Tool (L), create the shape of the button on the clasp.

The basic shapes of the wallet are ready, so it's time to proceed to coloring.

Step 7

Fill the next one with linear gradient from brown to light brown color.

Fill the upper rectangle with more complicated gradient which contains various shades of brown. Try to reproduce the volume of the wallet using this gradient.

Fill the buckle of the wallet with a linear gradient.

For this purpose, you can use the same gradient as for the upper rectangle. But, of course, you will need to adjust it by deleting unnecessary sliders and dragging the others. This technique allows you to save time on selecting the colors.

Step 8

With the help of the Ellipse Tool (L), create another circle with a smaller diameter than the button on the buckle and fill it with linear gradient which consists of different shades of gray.

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a shape shown in the picture below.

Copy the shape of the button and paste it in front (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + F). Now select the shape of the button and gray shape, then click on the Intersect button in the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder).

Fill the resulting button with linear gradient which consists of light and dark shades of gray. Thus, we have created glare on the button.

Using the described technique, create glare on the buckle of the wallet.

Step 9

Paste the appropriate texture into the current document (File > Place…) and place on the upper rectangle of the wallet, but below the buckle. All the procedures to create the correct sequence of objects is carried in the Layers panel (Window > Layers). Select the texture and click on the Embed button in the upper panel.

Set the Multiply Blending Mode in the Transparency panel for raster texture of the leather.

Step 10

With the help of the Phantasm CS, you can process raster images directly in Adobe Illustrator. For example, you can adjust its levels, achieving the desired effect. Keep the texture selected, go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Levels…

Phantasm CS' ability to work with raster objects will be helpful in the creation of vector textures. Vector textures are created with the tracing of the raster images. Before tracing, apply the effects of Phantasm CS to the raster images, such effects as Brightness / Contrast (Effect > Phantasm CS > Brightness / Contrast …) and Levels. At the same time you can always adjust the settings of these effects, getting access to them from the Appearance panel.

While tracing (Object > Live Trace > Trace Options…) you have an opportunity to view the result.

If you are not satisfied with it even when playing with the tracing parameters, click on Cancel in the Trace Options dialog window and reconfigure the applied effects of Phantasm CS.

Isn't it much faster than processing the texture in Photoshop, and then trace it in Adobe Illustrator?

Step 11

Hide part of the texture that goes beyond the wallet. Copy and paste in front the rectangle (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + F) and move the copy in the layers palette so that it is over the raster texture.

Select the upper rectangle and the texture, then click on the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl + 7, creating a Clipping Mask.

Using the described technique, create the texture on the buckle of the wallet.

Step 12

Now to apply stitching to the wallet. Create a stitch similar to the one shown in the picture below.

Drag the stitch to the Brushes panel and save a new brush as a Scatter Brush.

Step 13

Apply the created brush to the path that you have created in step 4. Configure the settings of the brush to get a stitch similar to mine.

Step 14

Create a shadow from a buckle. Copy the shape of the buckle and paste it back (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + B). Place this shape below all the elements of the buckle, fill it with black color and set 10% opacity in the Transparency panel and move it right and down.

Keeping the shape selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path… and set the offset value in the dialog box.

With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) select the upper points of this shape and move them vertically, as it is shown in the figure below.

Set 100% opacity for this shape in the Transparency panel. Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps, select both shapes and go to Object > Blend > Make.

Step 15

Group up (Cmd / Ctrl + G) all the elements of the wallet and turn at a certain angle.

Now create a shadow of the wallet. Create two ellipses with the help of the Ellipse Tool (L). The larger ellipse is lower than the smaller one and has a fill of white color with 0% Opacity. The smaller ellipse is filled with a dark brown color.

Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps, select both circles and go to Object > Blend > Make.

Step 16

To embellish the illustration, let's create a few colorful credit cards that will be sticking out from the wallet. With the help of the Rectangle Tool (M) create a rectangle filled with dark gray color. Round the corners with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool.

Create a new rectangle with a smaller height than the first one, and a few millimeters thinner too. As in the first case, round its corners with the help of the Dynamic Corners Tool. Fill the rectangle with a sloping linear gradient which consists of rotating shades of light gray color.

Step 17

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a curved line with a stroke of a white color and thickness of 1px.

Create the similar line on top of the credit card beyond it.

Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options… and set the number of Specified Steps, select both curves and go to Object > Blend > Make.

Step 18

Copy the rectangle with a gradient fill and paste it in front (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + F) and move the copy in the layers panel so that it is above the blend object.

Select the blend and the upper rectangle, then click on the shortcuts Cmd / Ctrl +7, creating a Clipping Mask.

Step 19

Create a new rectangle so that it covers the entire credit card.

Keep the rectangle selected, go to Object > Gradient Mesh, and set the number of columns and rows in the dialog window.

With the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A) select the points shown in the figure below, and fill them with white color.

Step 20

Select the entire gradient mesh and go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp… and set the parameters indicated in the picture below.

Set the Multiply Blending Mode for the gradient mesh and 65% Opacity in the Transparency panel.

In order not to create a new Clipping Mask, simply drag the mesh to the group with an existing mask which we created in step 17. This manipulation must be done in the Layers panel.

Step 21

Create a new rectangle with a stroke and no fill. Round the corners with the Dynamic Corners Tool. Keep this rectangle selected, go to Object > Expand. Now fill the resulting shape with white linear gradient, one of its sliders has 70% opacity.

Step 22

With the help of the Pen Tool (P) create a shape shown in the picture below.

Delete a part of this shape, which stands outside the card with the Intersect command from the Pathfinder panel(see step 8).

Fill the shape with light gray radial gradient, one of its sliders has 0% opacity.

Step 23

Take the Type Tool (T) and create white numbers on the credit card.

Copy numbers and paste them back (Cmd / Ctrl + C, Cmd / Ctrl + B), fill the lower digits with dark gray color and slightly move them down and to the right.

Group up the numbers, copy the group, decrease the copy and place it in the bottom of the credit card.

Step 24

To create color credit cards, we will be using Phantasm CS. Select the entire credit card, group this (Cmd / Ctrl + G), and go to Effect > Phantasm CS > Hue / Saturation…. In the dialog window, tick "Colorize". Now moving the Hue and Saturation sliders, color the credit card in all the colors of the rainbow.

Now place colorful credit cards between the shapes of the wallet. In the Appearance panel, they should be above the first rectangle and below all others.

Conclusion

For more information about plugins used in this tutorial follow these links: